The book aims at creating the foundations for a broad framework of a "theory of mobility in space and time". Starting from a confrontation between mainstream international economics and empirical observation, the approach takes into account the heterogeneity of more or less mobile agents, forms of interaction that go beyond price interaction as well as the dimensions of space and time. It is emphasized that only an interdisciplinary approach that is open to new methods will be able to offer explanations for the spatial dynamics of our times. This approach goes beyond the traditional distinction of national versus international transactions. It is a completely new conceptual framework that makes the integration of traditional approaches as well as future theoretical developments possible.

Klappentext

The pure theory of international economics operates within a methodological framework of (static) equilibrium modelling. This sets a number of restrictions to its capability to explain empirical economic phenomena. A huge part of the scientific discourse takes place within this equilibrium framework. This is also true for new approaches like e.g. the New Economic Geography and models operating with market structures of oligopoly. This is why it is a courageous effort to try to cross the apparently unalterable borders set by equilibrium modelling. Most certainly this cannot be an end in itself. Especially the pure theory of international economics is still in many fields lacking adequate possibilities to deal with phenomena in space and time. These two dimensions have in common that they make the introduction of specific facets of movement, change, evolution - and therefore "mobility" - possible. Besides this "dynamic" component a point of view that includes space and time challenges us to find new possibilities to model heterogeneous agents. If these ideas are not so revolutionary in their content, the attempt to introduce them into a formal model is a big challenge. Moreover, it poses the question about the role of a theory of "international" economics in such a wider framework.

Inhalt

1 Introduction: aims and conceptions.- A A concept of mobility in space and time.- 2 Mobility in the 21st century: some empirical observations.- 2.1 Mobility and global information.- 2.1.1 Access to information.- 2.1.2 Information and organization.- 2.2 Mobility in space: globalization, regionalization and localization.- 2.3 Mobility and spatial patterns of development.- 3 Mobility in space and time - structuring a complex phenomenon.- 3.1 Mobility and agents - microeconomic foundations of mobility.- 3.2 Spatial patterns, interaction and mobility - structuring space by analyzing mobility.- 3.3 Mobility, agents and time - sources of change and decision-making in time.- 3.4 Mobility in space and time - a comprehensive framework.- B Mobility in the theory of international economics.- 4 General possibilities and restrictions of theoretical modelling.- 4.1 Mobility and agents in international economic theory - modelling the microlevel.- 4.2 Dealing with space and time in economic theory.- 5 International flows of goods and factors -traditional theory of international economics.- 6 New trade theory and multinational corporations.- 7 Non-linear dynamics and self-organization -New Economic Geography.- 7.1 The type of the models.- 7.2 Core-periphery models and spatial dynamics.- 7.3 Cities and endogenous spatial structures.- 7.4 A critical point of view.- 7.5 Agglomeration, cities and the service sector - somebasic considerations.- C Future agenda - towards a theory of mobility in space and time.- 8 Between old and new concepts.- 9 Economic agents, capabilities and relationships in space and time.- 9.1 Evolutionary Economics and sources of spatial dynamics.- 9.2 Interacting agents in a mobile society.- 9.2.1 Heterogeneity of agents and externalities.- 9.2.2 Mobility and the option value of waiting.- 9.2.3 Heterogeneity of agents, space and time: migratory biographies.- 9.2.4 Territorial decision-makers in international economics.- 9.3 Patterns of interaction: networks, industrial districts and milieus.- 9.3.1 The evolution of patterns of interaction in time: the network approach.- 9.3.2 Spatial ties of interaction: industrial districts and innovative milieus..- 9.3.3 Networks, mobility and change.- 9.3.4 Networks - an ethnic phenomenon?.- 9.4 Sociodynamics and stochastic approaches.- 9.4.1 Modelling locational decision-making.- 9.4.2 Modelling innovative behaviour andchange.- 10 Geography, culture, organization and politics as determinants of distance.- 10.1 Culture and organization.- 10.2 Historical organizational patterns and mobility.- 10.3 An interplay of cultural, political and economic influences.- 10.3.1 Why do national borders matter?.- 10.3.2 Borders, markets and ties.- 11 Spaces of multinationalization.- 12 Novelty, capabilities and heterogeneity of agents.- 13 A new understanding of a complex matter - space and time.- 13.1 Mobility in time.- 13.2 Mobility in space - spaces of mobility.- 14 A formal model of mobility.- D Between given knowledge and new challenges.- 15 Conclusion.- 15.1 What do old and new theories tell us about mobility?.- 15.2 Achievements and open questions of the new approach.- 15.3 Empirical and theoretical research agenda.- List of figures.- List of tables.- References.